. >> for now, the technology is only available in the d.c. area. we have a report. >> reporter: christy nagel is looking for a coffee maker. >> this is $53. i don't want my energy costs to go up just because i'm getting a cheaper coffee maker. >> reporter: john had the same concern when he was shopping for appliances. >> i couldn't find any information besides the price that could tell me which one was more environmentally friendly or which one saved energy. >> reporter: that information wasn't available anywhere. so he started s actual vinia labs based in bethesda. >> we do consumer research to find out how consumes are use these products and we take that into a testing laboratory at the university of maryland and we test each and every product to find out how much energy they use. >> reporter: consider this. two coffee makes are could cost you $100 in the store but coffee make are number one costs you $200 to run over five years while coffee maker number two only costs you $35 to run over five years. the rating system lays that out for you. it al